SYDNEY: Australia will place six passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak into a dedicated quarantine facility near Perth for at least three weeks, authorities said on Monday.
The group includes four Australian citizens, one Australian permanent resident and one New Zealander. None of them have shown symptoms of the disease so far.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the passengers would be housed at the 500-bed Bullsbrook quarantine facility in Western Australia, which was originally constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The passengers are expected to arrive on repatriation flights from Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, although officials said arrangements for the flights were still being finalised due to the complexity of the operation.
Biosecurity laws
Australia has decided to classify hantavirus under its biosecurity laws, allowing authorities to enforce mandatory quarantine measures.
“Those six people will be transferred immediately to that quarantine facility directly next door to the RAAF base,” Butler told reporters.
He said the virus has an incubation period of up to 42 days, meaning authorities are still considering what measures may be required after the initial quarantine period ends.
According to Butler, some countries are requiring only brief quarantine periods before allowing passengers to isolate at home.
However, Australia has opted for stricter controls because of concerns linked to the long-distance flight from Tenerife aboard a relatively small aircraft.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious disease typically spread through contact with rodents or their waste products.
